Sibling Rivalry: Chapter Fifteen – Fire

Scootaloo wasn’t one to let anything go too easily. When someone said something stupid, she would let them have it… unless they were already doing that for her.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Twilight asked, as the two trotted up the boulevard.

“No,” the pegasus responded, coldly.

The silence ate at her. “Okay, I didn’t know how dragon minds worked. Is that my fault? I just didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“It wouldn’t be, if Sweetie Belle wasn’t a pony.”

Twilight sighed in exasperation. “I guess I’m still new at this.” Then a realization hit her. “Wait, how do you know so much?”

Scootaloo tried to avert her gaze. “Uh… can we talk about this later?”

The two had arrived at the Ponyville Library, and Scootaloo wasted no time in dismounting her scooter, and trotting inside.

“It’s not moving!” Apple Bloom cried.

“What the-!?” the pegasus reacted.

Before her, Scootaloo saw the large red crate, exactly where she’d left it, completely unscathed, save for the large crowbar jammed under the lid, with an earth pony filly and baby dragon hanging from it.

“Hey, Scootaloo!” the earth pony said. “Yeah, we were just trying to break this open.”

Her wide-eyed shock turned into a cocky smirk. “Yeah, and you can’t.” She trotted up to the box as the attempted burglars released their grips. “Well, at least you kept busy.”

“And what have you been doing?” Spike asked.

“I got good news,” the pegasus said with a joyous smile.

“They’ve forgiven me!?” he said, wide-eyed.

She simply nodded. “But, we have to get going. I’m going to be on you like glue for the rest of the day. We’re gonna figure out exactly what’s going on in that head of yours. You ready?”

The dragon was skeptical. “I guess,” he sighed.

“Great!”

“What is this?” Twilight asked.

“The box?” Scootaloo replied.

She nodded.

“I don’t know yet. Come on, I need to move this thing.” She got to the other side, and began to push, only for Twilight to levitate it up, through the door, and into the wagon in no time at all.

Scootaloo just stared. “Thanks,” she said, before trotting outside.

Spike and Twilight quickly followed.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” the unicorn asked.

“Yep!” she replied.

Twilight looked over the scene, as her young dragon assistant slumped into the wagon without a care.

“Spike,” the unicorn said. “Make sure that box doesn’t fall out.”

“Huh?” the dragon came out of his daze. “Uh… yeah,” he said, straightening his stance.

“I hope you have a plan,” Twilight whispered to the young pegasus.

She merely smiled, and said, “See ya!” before taking off as fast as she could.

Twilight trotted back inside, and straight into the kitchen, followed closely by Apple Bloom.

“Twilight? Is everythin’ alright?” the filly asked.

As the librarian entered the room, she saw a pink earth pony stirring the contents of a mixing bowl quite aggressively.

“Uh… Pinkie?” she asked. “Don’t you think that’s enough cupcakes?”

The earth pony looked around the kitchen. Every counter was covered in trays of cupcakes, some stacked atop one another. It was a sea of cupcakes.

“It’s hard to explain, but basically I said something that got her to hate him. Turns out I was wrong.”

Apple Bloom started rubbing her chin. “Well, I guess that means-”

“Rarity’s already broken up with him, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

“What?” the filly asked out of genuine confusion.

“And then, there’s Scootaloo. Where did that box come from?”

“She pulled it out of that bathroom about an hour ago,” the young farmer explained.

“What?”

“Yeah, I don’t know either.”

Twilight was pensive. “That just raises more questions.”

“What questions?”

“Well, when I moved it, I felt something, a strong magical protection field that I’ve never seen before. I don’t even know how something like that is possible.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure, but whatever it is, it’s big.”

Pinkie watched all this unfold in silence. She was sworn to secrecy. She couldn’t tell them about the favour Scootaloo asked of her. She could only hope the young filly knew what she got herself into.

At top speed, Scootaloo could move faster than anything. Her endurance was incredible, and her reaction time was unparalleled.

No one could beat her… normally.

But hauling a depressed young dragon, and a giant box filled with who-knows-what, impaired her significantly.

“You alright back there, Spike?” she hollered behind her.

“Yeah!” he screamed, with very little enthusiasm.

Scootaloo wasn’t sure where exactly they should go. She just chose a direction and went for it. All she knew was that she didn’t want to cross paths with Sweetie Belle, just yet.

On a hunch, she made a beeline straight for the least populated part of town. It was on one of the roads in from Fillydelphia. Rolling past the houses and shops, with nothing but grassy fields before them, Scootaloo could only think one thing: hopefully, she’ll be able to help.

Rarity knew her journey would be the easiest part of her mission, on multiple levels. Trotting across town would be trivial compared to her final objective: Convincing her sister to forgive and date her boyfriend.

Just thinking about it made her a bit nauseous.

She followed the path, barely noticing her surroundings, particularly the tree directly in front of her.

As she recovered from the impact, her head was in a daze. Tiny little pegasi danced around her.

“You alright?” came a familiar voice.

Rarity turned to see Rainbow Dash, sitting on the ground further up the path.

“Need a hoof?” she asked the unicorn.

She shook her head aggressively, as a spike of pain hit her like a brick. Feigning health, she responded, “I’m alright, Rainbow Dash. Thank you for your concern.”

“Yes, that… well, it was a bit unexpected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” she said with a smile.

“Are you kidding!?” the weathermare asked, incredulously. “He cheated on you, Rarity! How is that not a ‘bad thing’!?”

“What?” she responded.

The pegasus froze. “Please tell me you know about Spike.”

“Oh, that. Yes, I know all about him and Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh, thank Celestia,” she exclaimed in relief. “But… weren’t you two an item?”

She solemnly nodded, trying to avert her gaze.

Rainbow was perplexed. “Okay, so why are you not freaking out?”

“Ladies do not ‘freak out,’ Rainbow Dash. But yes, I was upset at first, however, easy come, easy go. We had a good run.”

Her immediate shock quickly dissipated. “Yeah right, Rarity. I know you too well to believe it’s that simple.”

“Well, why couldn’t it be so?” the unicorn explained. “Spike and I had our fun, now it is over, no harm done.”

She trotted up to her friend. “You’re lying. I don’t know why, but you are.”

“Rainbow, darling, I appreciate your concern. Really, I do. But there are other issues.”

“Yeah, I bet Spike’s upset this blew up in his face. Serves him right.”

“Rainbow, none of this is his fault!”

The pegasus was taken aback. “What? Okay, now I’m really confused.”

“Spike made a mistake, granted. But that does not mean he should not be forgiven.”

“Oh, really? Did you forgive him?”

The unicorn nodded curtly. “Yes I did,” she said.

“I thought you said you broke up with him.”

“I feel like we are going in circles.” Rarity held up a hoof. “Listen, Rainbow Dash, I did forgive Spike, but that does not mean I can stay with him. I cannot. I do love him, more than anything, but that is exactly why I cannot be with him.”

The weathermare started getting dizzy. “Stop trying to hurt my brain. I get enough of that from Twilight.”

Rarity scanned the area for potential eavesdroppers before continuing. “He does not love me, therefore, I cannot stay with him.”

“Yeah, still confused,” she responded.

“He loves my sister, not me.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Wha-How do you know that?”

“It is not important, Rainbow Dash. Now, I assume it was Sweetie Belle who informed you of the situation.”

She nodded.

“Very well, I must speak with her.”

“Uh… I don’t know about that, Rarity. She’s pretty broken up.”

“Rainbow Dash, I demand you allow me to speak with my sister.”

“No.”

“Really? I thought that would work.”

“Why?”

She shrugged.

The speedy scooter flew across the plains. The wind tore through Scootaloo’s tousled mane. Her dress whipped steadily in her wake.

But in the trailing wagon, Spike could barely be asked to care. He lost all that he cared about, and would likely never get it back.

He knew Scootaloo meant well, but he doubted her optimism. It was unlikely this day would be different from any other. He’d been trying to figure this stuff out for the past month, and nothing.

So they forgave him. That did not mean they would stay with him.

The scooter slowed to a stop. Spike took in his surroundings, and recognised the place immediately.

Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Why are we here?” he asked.

“Oh, I figure this is as good a place as any! Hey, Fluttershy!” she cried, waving a hoof in the air.

Sure enough, Spike finally noticed that the yellow mare was standing in front of her home. Next to her was a tiny rabbit, who stared at the dragon, making him very uncomfortable.

Angel did not look very friendly this day, with one arm at his hip, the other holding a carrot, and his eyes holding an apathetic glare. And because of Spike’s own insecurities, he assumed the rabbit was silently judging him.

Bit egotistical, to be sure.

“You coming?” Scootaloo asked. She turned back around, and trotted toward the home.

Spike took a few seconds, before resigning himself to his fate.

“Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, greeting the young pegasus. “I didn’t know you were supposed to be back in Ponyville this soon.”

“Would a dozen cupcakes cheer you up?” came an abnormally cheerful voice.

“Pinkie, shouldn’t you be at work?” Twilight asked.

“But if I go there, I won’t be here, and when everypony gets back, I won’t see them live happily ever after!”

The unicorn didn’t respond.

“You’re right, Twilight,” Apple Bloom said, getting back to her hooves. “I’m goin’ back to Sugarcube Corner.” She trotted to the front door. “I’m sure somepony will tell me everythin’ when it’s all over.”

Swinging the door open, the young filly was shocked to see somepony standing there, preparing to knock. She was even more shocked to recognize her.

“Applejack?”

The mare looked down at her younger sister, anger slowly brewing. “Apple Bloom… what were you thinkin’!?”

“What?”

Sweetie Belle stared at her mug of formerly-hot chocolate.

It went cold a long time ago. And as she sat in front of it, alone with her thoughts, she couldn’t be asked to care.

Hoofsteps echoed from the other side of the room. She didn’t respond, or even move.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle,” Rainbow asked. “How’re you feelin’?”

She didn’t respond.

“You have a visitor.”

Visitor?

Sweetie Belle slowly began to look up. Before her, on the other side of the room, stood her older sister, disheveled and depressed.

Rarity didn’t even bother to plaster a fake smile on her face. Her makeup was non-existent. The fact that she cared so little angered Sweetie Belle. And she didn’t try to hide it.

As the unicorn looked across the table, at her younger sister. She knew this would not be easy. It would be the hardest thing she ever had to do. Her first step was convincing Rainbow to let her through. Now, she had to get the filly to agree to listen.

Rarity slowly tried to avert her gaze, as Sweetie Belle tried to drill holes through the mare with hers.

“I’ll just… be in the next room,” Rainbow said, trotting away.

The two unicorns were left alone.

The silence was deafening.

They stood there, for what felt like hours, until the crucial question was asked. “What do you want?” the filly said, her voice thick with anger. “Are you here to gloat?”

Rarity felt a dagger drive itself through her heart. “No, I… I came to apologize.”

Her anger quickly dissipated. “What?” she asked. “What for!?”

Rarity finally looked up, at her little sister. “I wanted to apologize for… getting between you and Spike.”

“What?”

Spike sat on the large sofa in Fluttershy’s cottage, claws folded in his lap.

Taken aback by the sudden reaction, Applejack felt horrible for what she said. “Aw, come on, Pinkie. It’s not that bad. You… thought you were doin’ the right thing.”

“No,” Twilight interjected. “We were doing the right thing. And on that, how do you even know what happened?”

“Why? You don’t like that I found out?”

“Applejack…”

She hesitated for a brief second, before saying, “Sweetie Belle told me.”

Pinkie’s eyes dried up in an instant as she zoomed over to her friend. “What!? Where!?”

“She’s at the farm! Why? What difference does it make?”

“Pinkie, it’s alright,” Twilight responded.

“What?” Applejack asked.

“We need to convince Sweetie Belle to forgive him.”

“Why?”

“Because he loves her, and he made a stupid mistake because he’s in love. And it’s not all about Spike, it’s about everypony. I don’t want to see my friends hate each other, and I don’t want to see them live in regret. And it’s my fault she’s angry, and it’s my fault it didn’t get resolved sooner.”

“Twilight!” Apple Bloom interjected.

The unicorn held up a hoof. “It is. I should have made him decide a long time ago, but I was too timid to do it. And if they don’t get back together, they’ll just become bitter and spiteful. I don’t want to see that.”

Suddenly, Applejack’s desire for justice was squashed. There were many things more important than justice. And the happiness of her friends and family were foremost among them.

She looked at the ponies around her, and sighed. “Dangit.”

“If I knew you had feelings for Spike… well, this would not have happened.”

Sweetie Belle was confused. “Wha… what do you mean?” she asked.

Rarity paused for a moment. “We… never talk anymore,” she said, melancholically. “We haven’t seen each other in over a month. And I am sorry.”

She scratched the back of her head. “I’ve just been… busy.”

“I was not, I actually chose Spike over you, and I should not have done that.”

The filly bowed her head in sadness.

“Sweetie Belle?”

With a sniff, she replied, “he’s a jerk!”

Rarity had her work cut out for her. “He made a mistake, there isn’t any need to be angry over this.”

“Why can’t you just leave me alone, and go be with your boyfriend?”

Her sister’s semi-mocking tone cut the designer deep. “Sweetie Belle…” she said, as her eyes began to water.

“I’ll never have anything nice, because you’ll always take it from me.”

Scootaloo’s scooter scooted along the path, as its driver kept her eyes open for any sign of the purple dragon.

Suddenly, to her left, she spotted something. She slowly turned off the road, directly toward a small hill, topped by a familiar form.

Spike didn’t move a muscle as she approached and dismounted the vehicle. He was staring off into the distance, the sun at his back, high in the sky.

“You alright, guy?” the pegasus asked.

He shifted slightly, and quickly glanced in Scootaloo’s direction. “I’m fine, I was just… scared.”

She took a seat next to him. “Sorry, I didn’t expect that.”

“She’s not angry at me, is she?”

“I don’t think so.”

In the distance, a flock of birds flew across the horizon.

“What was that anyway?” She asked, with genuine curiosity.

Spike turned to look at the young pegasus. “What?”

“Why’d you freak out like that?”

“I… I don’t know—I was scared.”

“I know, but why? And why are you so against the idea of dating both of them?”

He suddenly began to curl up in a ball, as tears ran down his face.

“Hey, Spike,” she said, grabbing the dragon in a hug. “It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me.”

She quickly put a hoof to the clasp, and it clicked open. She flew the lid back, and they both stuck their heads inside.

“What the!?” Spike asked with genuine confusion.

Scootaloo’s expression mirrored his. She reached inside and pulled out an object Spike had seen a few times before. They were sold primarily by the buffalos out west.

Made from a single tree branch, bent in the shape of a circle, and tied together with a series of small ropes in an intricate pattern.

A simple dreamcatcher, no bigger than her head. So why the huge box?

“Oh!” the filly exclaimed. “I hate her.”

“A dreamcatcher?”

“It’s like a cruel practical joke!” she mused.

“Why a dreamcatcher?”

“It’s not a dreamcatcher, it just looks like one.”

“Huh?” he asked, with genuine confusion.

She paused for a second to collect her thoughts. “You wanna know how my trip went?”

“No, I would never do that!” Rarity exclaimed in shock.

“But you did! You did!” Sweetie Belle cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You took Spike away from me!”

In her heart, Rarity felt the same way. Her sister took away the most precious thing in her life. But in her head, she knew it was not that simple.

Regardless, as she saw Sweetie Belle, torn up by the day’s events, her heart broke. She had to end this.

“I didn’t,” Rarity replied.

“YES YOU DID!”

“He doesn’t love me.”

Her sobbing ebbed. “What?”

“Sweetie Belle, I know Spike too well. I saw him. He spoke about you, about us, and… I could see it in his eyes. He doesn’t love me. Not as much as he loves you.”

The filly shook her head. “You—you’re just saying that,” she said, wiping the tears away.

“No, I’m not,” she replied, as a single tear rolled down her face.

Sweetie Belle’s heart began to sink just a bit more, and her head fell in time.

“He loves you,” Rarity explained. “But he is young, as are you, and he was confused. He did not know what love truly was, so he had an error in judgement. But he never betrayed you. I know that for certain. And I think you should forgive him.”

Sweetie Belle raised her head.

Spike and Scootaloo looked over the horizon. The clouds flowed past the city. The wildlife chirped and scurried around them.

But Spike didn’t notice any of that. All he noticed was the dreamcatcher that sat on the grass. “So, this is…?”

“Yeah.”

He bowed his head. “And that means…?”

“Mmmmhmmm.”

“And I thought I had a bad day.”

Scootaloo burst into laughter. “Oh, it’s not so bad,” she explained. “I mean, somepony has to do it. And in my hooves, you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Spike looked at the filly with skepticism. “Well, if you need any help…”

She smiled, and said, “Thanks.”

The two looked out over the horizon, and let their thoughts brew.

“So, your problems don’t seem so big now, do they?” she asked.

“I guess not.”

“You know.”

He turned his head. “What?”

“You know exactly who you want to be with. Deep down, you just have to tell the rest of your brain.”

Spike scoffed, “and how exactly do I do that?”

She turned to face the young dragon. “Okay, one question, who do you love more?”

The dragon rolled his eyes, this was a question he’d heard many times before. “I don’t know.”

Scootaloo thought it through. “Who do you enjoy spending time with?”

“I don’t know!” he replied, slightly annoyed.

“Well, talk it out,” she explained, with a wave of her hoof.

He sighed, and explained. “They’re both fun to be around. Rarity and I have had dinner together, gone dancing, and I loved it. Me and Sweetie Belle, we go out on picnics, walk in the forest, have tea together…” with a smile, he shrugged in defeat. “I really don’t know.”

The next question was crucial. So Scootaloo thought it through carefully. It needed to be expertly worded to get Spike to reach the conclusion that he needed to reach.

“Why?” she asked.

“What?” he responded in confusion.

“Why do you love them?”

He didn’t quite understand the question, and the filly could tell.

“Let’s start with Sweetie Belle, why exactly do you love her? What about Sweetie Belle do you love?”

Spike paused for several seconds to organize his thoughts. Eventually, he came up with an answer. “Well, she’s kind, beautiful, patient. She’s a great singer. And that thing her voice does when she gets excited.”